glossary of words

Meanings

1. 1phrasecountable

   A list, usually in alphabetical order, that explains the difficult or special words used in a book, subject, or piece of writing.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a glossary of words' or 'glossaries of words' when talking about more than one list.

   Patterns

   • a glossary of words for something
   • a glossary of words at the back of a book
   • compile a glossary of words
   • include a glossary of words

   The textbook ends with a glossary of words that students may not know.

   Our teacher asked us to make a glossary of words about the environment.

   If you meet an unfamiliar term, look it up in the glossary of words at the back.

2. 2phrasecountable

   A short collection of terms on one subject, made so that readers can check meanings quickly.

   Grammar: Often used with 'a' or 'the' and followed by 'of': a glossary of words of medical terms.

   Patterns

   • a glossary of words on a topic
   • produce a glossary of words
   • an online glossary of words

   The website offers a glossary of words used in car repair.

   She keeps a glossary of words and phrases from her science lessons.

   A glossary of words on the last page helps readers understand the report.

Word forms

Common combinations

a glossary of words for children

The publisher added a glossary of words for children at the front of the atlas.

a glossary of words and phrases

Her notebook is really a glossary of words and phrases she hears in class.

compile a glossary of words

Two editors spent a month compiling a glossary of words used in the manual.

a glossary of words at the back of the book

There is a glossary of words at the back of the book, just before the index.

an online glossary of words

Students can search an online glossary of words whenever they write an essay.

Synonyms and how they differ

word list

A word list is just words collected together, often without meanings; a glossary of words normally gives an explanation for each item.

vocabulary

Vocabulary means all the words a person knows or a subject uses, not a written list with definitions, so it is wider and less specific.

lexicon

Lexicon is a formal or technical word for the vocabulary of a language or field, and it is rarely used for a small list at the end of a book.

Word family

glossary noun

The usual short form: a list of special terms with their meanings.

gloss verb

To gloss a word is to add a short explanation of it, especially above or beside the text.

glossarial adjective

A formal adjective meaning relating to a glossary or to explanations of words.

Commonly confused: glossary of words or dictionary? glossary of words or thesaurus?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “glossary of words”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words